Bangkok siege: Plan outlined to accommodate rally-affected commuters

[webfact]

RALLY
Plan outlined to accommodate rally-affected commuters
The Nation


A banner telling the protesters' plan to shut down Bangkok.

BANGKOK: -- The Transport Ministry has outlined the preparation, including the marking of park and ride venues to accommodate commuters living outside Bangkok.

Government agencies under the Transport Ministry convened Monday to prepare for the anti-government protesters’ plan to siege Bangkok on January 13.

Transport Permanent Secretary Somchai Siriwathanachoke said that five inspectors will be in charge of transportation in five major zones, following the plan to siege 20 areas in the capital city.

As at least 1 million commuters may be affected by the "Bangkok Shutdown", park and ride stops will be put up to accommodate commuters from the North and South of Bangkok.

Commuters can park their vehicles at the following venues: Don Mueang Airport, Mo Chit Bus Terminal, Future Park Rangsit, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bitec Bangna, Central Rama II shopping centre, Big C at Thonburi Housing project, Big C Ratburana, The Mall Bangkhae, PATA Pinklao and Southern Train Terminal. Shuttle buses will provide free services, to connect them with mass transit routes. It is also seeking help from Mega Bangna.

The ministry estimated that at least 1 million commuters would be affected, including 850,000 car owners. Traffic on 151 routes will be affected. While the rallies will affect 9 MRT stations and 13 BTS stations, they will also affect a port, 5 train stations, 2 Airport Rail Link stations, as well as 137 bus routes.

It is also estimated that the rallies will affect 149 schools and universities, 12 embassies, 88 shopping centres, as well as 85 police stations and government offices.

Somchai noted that if the situation turns out as bad as expected, the ministry’s preparation should ease the impact by 50 per cent.


-- The Nation 2014-01-06

[Gone]

Only in Thailand will you ever read a news article like this whereas the protest leader is not arrested and charged with this.

Imagine if one of us said we were going to seige London or Toronto or LA what would happen to us? I could see people in white suits approaching me for sure with strait jackets etc.

[MaxLee]

And if BTS and MRT are out of electricity,... OOPS, we didn't know, then the people are screwed...

[Ricardo]

Is the park-and-ride scheme intended to generate business for those poor taxi-drivers, who were complaining about the protests, i wonder ?

A loud 'click' reverberates across Bangkok, as all those pesky meters are switched off !

[Spare]

And if BTS and MRT are out of electricity,... OOPS, we didn't know, then the people are screwed...

Please don't pull that Yellow Plug off the wall socket.

[Asiantravel]

I can't see the taxi drivers in Bangkok (many of whom come from the provinces) tolerating this loss of revenue for very long

[54321]

Red or yellow. The situation is beyond ridiculous

[culicine]

I can't see the taxi drivers in Bangkok (many of whom come from the provinces) tolerating this loss of revenue for very long

Maybe they will think a little longer when refusing a fare. Som nam na !

[londonthai]

"Don Mueang Airport, Mo Chit Bus Terminal, Future Park Rangsit, Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bitec Bangna, Central Rama II shopping centre, Big C at Thonburi Housing project, Big C Ratburana, The Mall Bangkhae, PATA Pinklao and Southern Train Terminal"

they are already packed with the usual traffic and don't have a capacity for more.

any space will be taken by opportunist drivers day before shutdown for a free parking for several days/weeks

[Mampara]

One million people! 850,000 cars! thats one car per person, now imagine if we could just keep 50% of the cars out of bangkok, wouldn't Bangkok be a pleasure to live in, cooler, less pollution and much more peaceful.

[MaxLee]

One million people! 850,000 cars! thats one car per person, now imagine if we could just keep 50% of the cars out of bangkok, wouldn't Bangkok be a pleasure to live in, cooler, less pollution and much more peaceful.

No it is 9999999999999999999++++++++++¥+ trillion kachillian cars and 99% from the first car scheme...

[theslime]

I,m confused about his last comment, If the situation gets as bad as expected, if fighting breaks out there will be no one wanting to get to work, 5 inspectors for nearly a million cars, like to see that work out. If the government can get all these people to work the public service will be the envy of the World .

[lovetotravel]

Only in Thailand will you ever read a news article like this whereas the protest leader is not arrested and charged with this.

Imagine if one of us said we were going to seige London or Toronto or LA what would happen to us? I could see people in white suits approaching me for sure with strait jackets etc.

Exactly. But we've been here before. With disastrous consequences the last time. And some of the master minds behind that protest are now MPs in the government!

[FangFerang]

I cannot see any end to this that does not involve tears. I blame YL and her people for lighting the fuse, and the other side for loading the powderkeg while the fuse is burning....

Edited January 6, 2014 by FangFerang

[mmh8]

One million people! 850,000 cars! thats one car per person, now imagine if we could just keep 50% of the cars out of bangkok, wouldn't Bangkok be a pleasure to live in, cooler, less pollution and much more peaceful.

however, no one would get to work without those cars. How many live within walking distance of a useful transport system.

[tingtongteesood]

I blame Thaksin for everything since 2006 onwards....